ACUTE ALCOHOL EXPOSURE MARKEDLY INFLUENCES MALE-FERTILITY AND FETAL-OUTCOME IN THE MALE-RAT

Although it is recognized that drugs ingested by pregnant females prod uce marked cognitive and physiological deficits in their offspring, th e possibility that paternal exposure to drugs prior to mating may have adverse effects on fertility and fetal outcome has not received much attention. The purpose of the present studies was to examine whether a single, acute exposure to alcohol influences the subsequent ability o f adult male rats to mate and produce healthy and viable litters. Our results showed that a relatively large dose of alcohol 24 hours prior to breeding had little effect on the mating behavior of male rats, but there were markedly fewer pregnancies in females mated with alcohol-e xposed male rats than in controls. Of equal importance, we found that, even when conception occurred and live births were produced, there we re striking differences in fetal outcome. Alcohol-treated males sired many fewer pups than control males and there was a markedly enhanced m ortality rate in their offspring. Collectively, these data suggest tha t acute paternal alcohol administration 24 hours prior to breeding doe s not affect mating behavior, but results in a greatly diminished fert ility rate and fewer and less viable offspring. These studies suggest that paternal alcohol use may be as important as maternal alcohol abus e as a negative variable in pregnancy and fetal outcome.